)
As we mentioned above, one tenth of the agricultural produce was given to the needy in the third and sixth years of each seven-year cycle. While poor people's basic necessities were taken care of through the agricultural gifts (and supplemented with charity when necessary), this tithe was meant to give the indigent a couple of good years when they could enjoy relative comfort. This taste of plenty may have been meant to motivate those with the ability to work (or their children) to work harder and more efficiently in the subsequent lean years, allowing them to break the cycle of poverty and enjoy prosperity and financial independence. In contrast, had the poor been given a medium-sized handout every year, they would have gotten used to making ends meet with it. They would not have experienced the extra bit of joy, and they would not have developed the desire to improve their lot.
